Over the years my friend Dave has gotten a group of us into some interesting places. … and made sure we get us back safely. Earlier this year in the midst of yet another snowy adventure, we wound up talking about woodwork. Dave asked if I could make a table for him. Of course the answer was “yes.”

Dave lives in Whistler and his place is not huge. As we talked about possible designs I was reminded of a table that I made a long time ago, when Kim and I had just arrived in BC. We were living in a tiny apartment in Kitsilano and we needed a table. I signed up for an evening woodworking course at the local high school. The table was one of my first projects. We drew up a basic shaker style table that had one big leaf. Without the leaf it was a small table for two and with the leaf it could seat six. We used that table for years then gave it to friends. Its still in daily use more than 30 years later. I figured that the same design would work well for Dave. This would also give me a chance to revisit one of my first big woodworking projects.

The project was, appropriately, interrupted by my last ski trip of the season. But things went smoothly and the table came together without problems. The table was all about straight and square. It made for an interesting change from all the wonky not-particularly-straight-or-square chair making that I’ve been focused on lately. Thirty years ago my first table was made in a high school wood shop. Thirty years later I’m lucky to have a basement shop that’s easily capable of a project like this.

Top: Cherry and osmo, Legs and skirt: Poplar, pigmented oil, black wax